Translated from French......

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1013810/developpements-dans-le-cercle-de-feu-des-compagnies-minieres-simpatientent

Developments in the Ring of Fire: mining companies get impatient

It has been ten years this year that the first major deposits in the Ring of Fire have been claimed in the Aboriginal ancestral territories of the Nishnawbe Aski First Nation, but mining companies are still waiting to get to work.

A text by Sophie Houle-Drapeau

In this isolated area 500 km north of Thunder Bay, mining companies discovered copper, nickel, but also what appears to be the world's largest deposit of chromite, a metal used to produce stainless steel.

Yet the mining companies investing in the Ring of Fire are still far from achieving their goals. Political and social support is more difficult to obtain according to leaders of these companies.

The Cercle de feu is in a pristine area of ​​any industry and this is what complicates the development of the project according to KWG Resources Vice President of Prospecting and Development Maurice Lavigne.

Concern for the environment

Environmental assessments demanded by governments and local populations have also multiplied, he argues.

Maurice Lavigne, who has worked in the mining industry for over 40 years, explains that before the 1980s such assessments were very rare.

He said that a project could easily develop in a few years, because government support was often unconditional and they were doing everything to help.

The pressure from environmental groups and the increasing concern of the voters for the environment make the support for the project more complex.

    Today, all mining projects take longer than before.
    Maurice Lavigne, Vice-President, Prospecting and Development, KWG Resources

KWG Resources is still in the process of securing financing for the construction of the railway that it needs to exploit its deposits.

A long process

Subsequently, Maurice Lavigne expects to submit the project to an environmental assessment and to negotiate with the First Nations, which could add more years. All this, without counting on the construction of the mines themselves.

This long process is difficult financially for the company. Maurice Lavigne explains that shareholders are accustomed to projects that are realized in a few years. However, he remains convinced that the game will be worth the effort.

The president of Noront Resources, Allan Couts also believes that the project will eventually be lucrative, but deplores the slow development.

Negotiating with First Nations

Allan Coutts explained that what was initially a discussion of resources soon became a much broader discussion of the constitutional rights of Aboriginal communities.

    These issues must definitely be discussed and will fundamentally change the way Canadians work and live with First Nations. But [the Ring of Fire] is this the right table?
    Allan Coutts, President of Noront Resources

Allan Coutts wants economic development to be set apart from these other issues.

Noront Resources is in discussions with various First Nations and the provincial government about building a road to the Ring of Fire for which the Liberals promised $ 1 billion.

    It's not just about building a road to a mine site. It is also a way of opening up the North.
    Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines

Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, acknowledges the importance of this road and understands that mining companies are getting impatient but reiterates his government's commitment to First Nations. Their support is vital to the project, he says.